I'm the all-around threat. I've got the look; I think I've got the whole package.
In order to survive, I created a certain type of aura about myself that I was the baddest chick walking down the street. Anytime somebody underestimates me, Thug Rose comes out.
I've got Pat 'HD' Barry in my corner.
Me being the best in the world, it doesn't mean that much to me if I'm not a good person at the end of the day, if I'm not setting a good example for other people to be better to each other.
All the scars on my body, all the bumps and bruises, all the muscles - that is a story of everything I have done. And it's not just my story. My ancestors who came before me gave me this vessel to sculpt and mold.
There's pros and cons to everything, and I choose to look at the positives.
I definitely get down on myself. I needed to work on my self-talk. The same way you do footwork drills and cardio training, I had to do self-talk training.
That Dutch style of kickboxing, that's great. That's hard. It's very intimidating to stand across from, but you know it's very rhythmic on the beat. It's just something: It looks scary, but it's nothing to be scared of.
I think there's a lot of mental instability in this whole country.
Wrestling and kickboxing, like martial arts, combine a handful of skills. They're really an art form.
The learning curve, and the things that you have to adapt to on a daily basis in the UFC, is pretty crazy. It's a huge burden for anybody to have: not just the fighting itself but learning how to deal with the other responsibilities.
My hands look like my dad's and my mom's put together. She's a piano player, he was an artist, and I use the creative qualities I got from them in my fighting. But I don't just destroy with my hands; I also create: I cook and make art and garden.
All I can control is myself and just keep having a positive attitude.
You just keep a positive attitude no matter what comes in your way - challenges, roadblocks - don't let it faze you, and you can overcome anything.
Being resourceful and creating is a big part of my Lithuanian culture. My grandfather is part of who I am, too. He was a professional wrestler. He had a very functional, very slick, long frame.
My dad died, and he wasn't in my life because he had schizophrenia, so it's been something that my entire family has been fighting against since I can remember.
There's a process to everything. If you fast track or make shortcuts in any way, and you get too much of one thing, you're just out of balance.
I love spoiling a party. I love it when someone is on a roll and just messin' that up.
From my perspective, if I say that I'm done, I would hope - and I trust - that my corner would throw in the towel for me.
I'm just a very impatient person. It's always something that I'm working on, and just staying interested in the fight game is the biggest challenge for me. As long as I'm interested and I have an incentive to stay interested, then I'm unbeatable.
